Liberum Arbitrium
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: Days have passed since the defeat of Alexander, but the Leviathan's influence remains. Tyson fights to retain his humanity whilst his friends must face threats from all sides. Will Tyson and his friends overcome the darkness or be consumed by it? Sequel to A Hero's Last Cry. OFF HIATUS.
1. Prologue

Days have passed since the defeat of Alexander, but the Leviathan's influence remains. Tyson fights to retain his humanity whilst his friends must face threats from all sides. Will Tyson and his friends overcome the darkness or be consumed by it?

Thanks to SakuraAlexia for the cover.

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**Prologue**

Elder Pierre glanced out the window and looked skywards. Days had passed since the battle between Tyson and Alexander, but the skies remained a bright orange, completely absent of life. Normally, at the break of the dawn, birds would fill in the skies, but there had been nothing. Discomforting.

Yesterday he had taken a walk through the forest. Pure silence. Not even the crickets were making any noise. It was as if the animals themselves sensed something was amiss and had taken cover. Were they aware of the Leviathan's power too? Or was it simply just the unnatural colour of the sky that had unnerved them?

His fellow companion, Rowena, joined his side. She placed a hand on his shoulder, following his gaze skywards. "It's happening. It's really happening. I didn't want to believe it… but… Now that I can see it with my own eyes…" She stopped abruptly, unable to find the words to finish the sentence off.

He nodded. "When we were children, my grandfather spoke to me of a reckoning. The skies would turn orange and the demons would be released to cause havoc on the land of the living. He called it 'The Time of Troubles' an internal war between the bitbeasts." He turned his head away from the sky and looked at Rowena. He could see the uncertainty and fear in her eyes. He was sure his eyes told the same story.

"What does that mean for us?"

Shrugging, he added, "We're caught up in a war between two sides. The fallen bitbeasts, the demons, and the untainted ones guided by Gaia, the creator. I don't know where the answers are, but I do know we are in grave danger. These bitbeasts are not bound by beyblades. Their powers are unimaginable. There's no telling what is going to happen now and if we can even survive this."

"Is there nothing we can do?"

He didn't know the answer to that. His grandfather had simply said humanity would face judgement by the bitbeasts. A war would break out and hundreds of lives would be lost. Each death would only make the Leviathan stronger. "I don't know." Nothing in his teachings ever taught him how to deal with an apocalyptic war with the bitbeasts. "If only they had lost the battle…"

The battle between the Avengers and the Horsemen. If Tyson and his friends had failed to make it to the finals then none of this would've happened. If would've been better if they hadn't decided to compete. It was obvious the Horsemen only cared about defeating Tyson and his friends, the holders of the sacred bitbeasts. Now? It was rumoured both Tyson and Kai had left. Some even believed both had died. Without the two strongest bladers, what chance did they have to survive this?

"We could always run…" Rowena said, removing her hand off his shoulder.

"We could run far and wide, but the Leviathan's minions would still catch up to us."

"Then we hide. Hide underground."

"They'll still find us. The demons come from beneath. When the ground opens again, more will come."

"Then we fight the hordes of demonic bitbeasts."

He turned to her again, catching a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "With what? We are not warriors." They didn't even have blades of their own. He had been raised to spread scripture and to educate; not to blade and fight. That wasn't the path chosen for him.

"We can't just stand around and do nothing! There has to be something."

He didn't reply to her words. Rather, he focused on the orange skies. It was like the heavens above had caught alit. There were clouds in the distance and they were as black as coal. Like a scene right out of a Hollywood action blockbuster only this was very real and there were no second chances. No happy endings. No overly dramatic actors.

"I've read enough of war to know how this will end," he said softly. "Innocents are caught in the crossfire and they pay for it with their lives. I don't want to relive such history. I don't want to watch the world around me burn." He dug a hand into his pocket beneath his robes, his hand resting on a clear bottle of rat poison.

Perhaps it was an act of cowardice to run away from the incoming threat, but what was he, an elderly man, supposed to do to combat it? Words wouldn't help here, and their only hope of survival, Kai and Tyson, were both gone. What was the point in fighting an uphill battle? It was better to die now. At least the decision to die was in his hands and not to be made by the enemy.

"We need to believe in hope."

A dry laugh escaped his throat. "Hope? Look around you Rowena. What hope is there to believe in when the skies are orange and the ground has been splintered? Dangerous beasts now prowl across these lands and the Avengers have dispersed and some even rumoured dead. How do we stand and fight against a creature we still don't fully understand?"

She fell silent.

A part of him wanted to apologize for his rash words, but he knew he spoke the truth. They were doomed. They were all doomed. "I'm sorry, Rowena… I truly am, but this is the beginning of the end. Our ancestors always predicted this day would come – Judgement Day. I will not allow bitbeasts to determine my fate. That is for me to decide."

She frowned, concerned. "…What are you…"

He withdrew the bottle from his hand and unscrewed the lid. Bringing it to his lips, he arched his neck back and poured the liquid into his mouth. He drank until there was nothing left. Once done, he discarded it, and waited for the effects of the poison to kill him. Already, he could feel the taste of blood on the back of his tongue. The chemicals were starting to eat away at his flesh.

Her eyes widened. "Pierre?!" She paused then, "Roark! Myrah! Call an ambulance! Pierre is sick!" Blood seeped through his lips, spilling out onto his clothes. Weakness gripped him. His knees buckled and gave way to the ground. He fell but didn't quite hit the floor. Rowena had grabbed him. He coughed up more blood as the rat poison quickly ate through his internal organs. Soon, he'd have peace.

Before he lost all ability to function, he grabbed her arm with a bloodied hand and said in between coughs, "...Do not mourn for me, Rowena… This is our fate… Our end."

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I'm so excited to finally share this with you! This is the opening chapter, and it picks up right where A Hero's Last Cry finished. If you haven't read it, you really should because otherwise you're going to be a bit confused. If you have read it, that's great news, and I hope you'll enjoy this story even more. It won't be as long, but it'll be darker, and you'll see new sides to characters you've to come to love (or hate). Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	2. No Time for Celebrations

So, I'm back guys. Didn't think I'd be returning to this story, but I compiled a bunch of notes that was enough for another fully-fledged epic. I still have a bunch of stuff to wrap up and I now have heaps of free time thanks to my long university summer break. I'll be writing as much as I can and trying to get it done by March 2020. I hope you enjoy Liberum Arbitrium – I promise it'll be a fun read (well, I hope!).

Thanks to haiku101, Graykai and Linvn89 for reviewing the previous chapter. Apologies to anyone I may have disappointed when I dropped the notice that I was canning this. Hopefully, you're still here! Enjoy!

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**Chapter One: No Time for Celebrations**

Walking into Tyson's home felt like walking into a stranger's. Although she had walked through the entrance many times, today it felt like unfamiliar territory. Tyson hadn't come home. No one had seen him or Kai since the tournament. Almost a week had passed. No calls. No text messages. Nothing. People had already begun to mourn their disappearance, as if they had both been killed.

The media fuelled these rumours. There was even an hour-long documentary talking about the lives of Kai and Tyson, and their achievements over the years. Social media pages dedicated to Tyson and Kai had appeared all over the internet. Not a single person had come forth to state they believed they were still alive. Only a small number of people who believed they lived remained silent.

Hilary sat cross-legged in the centre of the floor. She bowed her head, and held her hands together before her face, and squeezed her eyes shut. "You made a promise to me, Tyson… You said you would return to me, and I know… I _know _you're still alive." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "The world might've lost hope… Even Rei, Max and Kenny are losing belief… But I know you're still here. I _have _to believe you're alive."

She started to sob. For several years now she had been trying to connect with Tyson on a deeper level, hoping to take their friendship into something greater, and when he finally confessed, he jumped into the pit after Kai. If there was a god out there, he or she certainly had a cruel taste in humour.

Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down, trying to prevent a new flood of tears from rolling down her cheeks. Every day of this month she had wept. Every morning and every night. It was said time healed all wounds, but each day only hurt more than the previous. Every day she was reminded of his disappearance.

"Hilary…"

She wiped her eyes then lifted her head up. Glancing over her left shoulder, she spotted Rei. His expression was sombre. Still no news on Tyson and Kai's fate. He walked towards her then sat down by her side. "I'm sorry, Hilary. I'm so sorry."

Unable to stop herself, Hilary leaned her head against Rei's shoulder, a new flood of tears travelling down her cheeks. "…He's still out there, Rei. I just know it. Both Kai and Tyson still live."

Rei held her close. "…You're convictions are strong. I wish my faith was as strong as yours, but I…"

She pulled away and looked at him through tear-filled eyes. "No," she said then shook her head. "No. Don't say it, Rei. He's _not _dead."

Rei looked away, unsettled. She wanted to lash out at him, to scold him for his lack of faith, but she couldn't find the strength in her to attempt anything. Rei, Max and Kenny had spent the past several weeks searching the area for any signs of Tyson and Kai, but they found nothing. Even the bitbeasts failed to find anything of interest. It was almost as if they too had given up hope. Was she the only one who firmly believed Tyson was still alive?

"I just… I want to believe it's true, Hilary, I really do… But we've found nothing, and we can't go underground to find them. The ground sealed itself up. Even if they had survived the fall, there'd be no way to get back out."

Always the rational one. Rei didn't let his emotions overrule his logic and rational mind. Sometimes he could be just as blunt and direct as Kai. The words spoken by a man who had lost all hope. Even Max and Kenny were struggling with their faith. They were beginning to believe the media. "We need to have faith. Isn't that what this team is about? Believing in each other and drawing strength from that?"

"Faith can't help us now, Hilary," he said, giving her a blunt expression. "We won the battle, but we lost the war. We believed we were making a difference; that we were saving the world, but we only brought on its destruction. I just wonder… we never should've returned to the playing field. Perhaps then everything would still be the same."

"You can't blame yourself, Rei. No one knew any of this was going to happen. You were only doing what was right – to protect the people of this planet." That's what the Bladebreakers represented. Hope. Even in times of darkness, they were always able to find the light. "Faith is our weapon, Rei. It's what gives us strength. Tyson had faith. Even Kai did. Now more than ever we need to be strong."

"You're a better person than I to believe Tyson and Kai are still alive."

Wiping away the tears again, she shook her head. "Kai was the first person to trust and accept me for who I was, and Tyson captured my heart. I know it might some weird to you, but I know they're alive. I can feel it in my heart." Maybe she did sound crazy. After all, how could anyone know for sure someone was alive without knowing their current circumstances?

Rei gave her a brief smile. "I'm glad you stayed with us, Hilary. I don't think we would've survived as a team if you hadn't of been there. I always thought Tyson held us together, but I was wrong – you're the glue that keeps the team united. You never lose hope. I find that admirable." He drew back from her then climbed to his feet. Stretching out a hand towards her, he jerked his head at the door. "Max and Kenny are in the park. We're laying down flowers on Stanley's grave. One year since his death."

How time had quickly flown by. It felt like only last week the man had sadly been murdered. She grabbed Rei's hand and helped herself up from the floor. "Then I best not keep the rest of you waiting." He smiled again and guided her out the door.

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_Running. Always running. Never hiding. Nowhere to hide. Just run. Run like you have everything to lose, but you can't run forever. Sooner or later the shadows are going to catch up and when they do, they consume you, and poison your mind, heart and soul. There's nothing you can do to fight the darkness. Soon, you'll just become one of the hollowed. Lost. A shadow of your former self._

Tyson grabbed his right wrist feeling a sharp implosion of pain from the hand that bore the mark of the serpent. Sometimes there'd be no pain at all, but other times it was too much to bear. At first, the pain was restricted to his hand, but now it was spreading throughout his body, almost like a plague sweeping across the land.

He removed the glove concealing the Mark and looked down at it. The serpent head was red. Blistering red. It was akin to a third degree burn except this one hadn't been received from the sun. What had Brooklyn called it? The Mark of the Leviathan? It wasn't just a serpent head anymore either. Numbers had appeared, but he couldn't decipher what they were. They were in ancient script and in print no bigger than the smallest fingernail.

Even Dragoon didn't know. He said it was a script older than himself. The Mark was the reason they were travelling to the three ancient civilizations, Rome, Egypt and Greece. Dragoon believed they would find answers here to learn more. He claimed the oldest bitbeasts came from these three places.

Tyson pulled the glove back on again. He didn't need people asking questions about something he knew little about. He also didn't want to cause any suspicion that he might be dangerous. Some people still held ancient beliefs and seeing something like on his hand would only make them wary about him.

Currently, he was seated in a café in Rome. No one recognized him as he was and no one bothered to ask him. His hand wasn't the only part of him he had covered up. He had taken to wearing a black coat with a hood to hide his face from the public. If the public knew he was still around, they'd ask questions, and that would only waste time.

"I can't believe it… Tyson and Kai dead…"

Tyson lifted his head up from the book he had been reading. It was an interesting original story about a man who had been pushed to the limits. The man had finally snapped in the end and embraced the beast inside before he was defeated by his rival and best friend. Turning his attention away from the book, he looked towards the table three seats away. Two females, who looked suspiciously like Rosette and Bianca, were close by. No sign of Enrique at least.

"I don't understand it… How can they be proclaimed dead if neither body has been found?"

Rosette pushed her blonde locks away from her face and shrugged. "Authorities can't find anything, and no one had seen them in public. Even the teammates haven't heard anything – don't you think if Tyson and Kai were alive that they would've returned to their friends?"

"Maybe they can't. Maybe they're both lost and trapped someplace and they're trying to find a way to escape from the ropes that bind them," Bianca replied. Tyson snorted. That was surprisingly deep from a girl who seemed so empty-headed. Maybe it had all been part of the act to get Enrique to spend money on them. "The authorities are calling off the month-long search."

So, the public believed he was dead. That was nice of them. After everything he had done, the people had given up on hope. He thought they might've at least carried on the search for another month or so. He was supposed to be their Champion, the bringer of light. So much for that. They probably were secretly pleased. The competition would be easier without him in it.

_Tyson. You know that's not true._

Dragoon's voice. The only one positive thing the Mark had given him – the ability to communicate with his bitbeast with his mind if the blade was in his possession. Something good had to come out of it. _Then why have they given up? I thought I was supposed to be important to them, _he thought. _You know what I hate the most? The lies. _

_The Mark continues to grow stronger._

He took in a deep breath and exhaled. Brief moments of anger would suddenly flare up then disappear as quickly as they had come. He thought things he normally wouldn't say aloud, and it scared him. He knew it was the Mark's influence. It was growing stronger, its power spreading through his system. How long did he have before he became someone else entirely?

_I can feel it burning into my skin, Dragoon. Every waking moment. It's like an itch I can't ever scratch, and it gets worse with each passing day. Sometimes… Sometimes I don't know who I am. Other times I just want to… make people suffer in terrible ways. To make them feel what I'm feeling now. Pain. And it frightens me, Dragoon. I feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is fading the further I pull away._

_We're in this together, Tyson. I won't abandon you ever. _

His loyal companion and closest friend. If Dragoon wasn't around, then he surely would've fallen by now or be engaged in some reckless behaviour. It was almost as if there was something inside of him just waiting to break free. _I'm trying to remain positive. I know we'll find answers, and the sooner we do, the quicker I can return home to my friends and rescue Kai. But what if we're too late? _

_Think of your friends, Tyson. That will give you strength to combat the darkness. Faith is a powerful tool. Never lose track of what you are fighting for._

"Here you go, sir."

Tyson broke out of his thoughts and looked up. The waitress, a young woman with short blonde curls, poured him a glass of water and then laid down the jug of water. He smiled at her and nodded. "Thanks."

The woman smiled at him. "Enjoy your day, sir." She turned her back and walked away from the table, most likely to attend to someone else's needs. These people didn't realize how fortunate they were – heck, most of them probably didn't even realize what was going on in the world around him. For once, he wished he could be just like them then he wouldn't have to worry about the troubles he now faced. What would it be like to be someone no one recognized but select few?

He looked around the room again, this time turning towards the magazine shelf. Beyblading Around the World. Interesting. He stood up and walked over to the shelf and picked it up. He returned to his chair, sat down and laid the magazine out on the table. Opening the magazine, he turned to the title page and scanned the list.

_Beyblading is the world's most popular sport, played by thousands of children and young adults of different backgrounds. Bladers compete in nation and global-wide tournaments in teams for a chance to claim the trophy and earn the prestigious title of world champion. But when did beyblading truly begin? The sport grew in popularity in Japan, but beyblading started many centuries ago in ancient times. The Egyptians were the first, and the Romans and Greeks adopted the sport, using it as a method to solve disputes._

_Beyblading in ancient days were not played in fancy indoor stadiums, but rather outside on the fields of battle. They did not blade for fame and glory, but for their survival. These battles were life and death – there were no second chances. This history of the sport has been largely ignored by the modern world, but I believe it needs to be taught. We need to understand how the sport evolved into what it is today._

_Three historians, Andreas, Thracius and Mesheti, have been studying the history of bitbeasts for decades and sorting fiction from fact. For many decades, we have been led to believe that bitbeasts have no minds of their own. We believe they are mindless mythical creatures whom serve our will, but the ancient clans of the old disagree. They believe bitbeasts have free will, and they have been created by a being of a higher power, to act as guardians of humanity._

The article stopped short. Tyson flipped the page searching for more but noticed a page had been ripped out. Naturally. Some people had no class. He turned back to the magazine again, reflecting over words in the article. He wondered if the writer knew about the Leviathan. His eyes turned to names mentioned. The three historians, each one representing one of the three classical clans Dragoon suggested he ought to visit.

He grabbed himself a glass of water, sculled it down then stood up. Lunch could wait another time. Right now, he wanted to learn more about these people and where to find them. Ignoring the looks from the waitress, Tyson kept his head down low and exited the building.

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"Go Strata Dragoon!" Daichi exclaimed, thrusting a finger forward. "Climb the mountain!" His beyblade reacted by emitting a faint glow from the bitchip as it raced towards the steepest slope of the Pindus Mountains. After Tyson had claimed the world championship for a third time, Daichi had decided to retreat to the quiet life in the wild, preferring the silence to the hustle and bustle of city life. Besides, he needed to hone his craft if he ever wanted to defeat Tyson.

It was a cloudy day here in the ranges, but Daichi welcomed the challenge. Lightning illuminated the dark clouds as rain bucketed down, quickly turning dry soil into puddles of mud. Most people wouldn't blade in the rain. But Daichi had been training in this sort of wild weather for most of his life. It gave him the edge in battle over most opponents.

"I'm coming for you, Tyson," Daichi said, through clenched teeth, focused on his blade. "Winning the championship didn't mean anything. We did that together, but everyone acts like you did all the work. I need to prove to everyone that I'm a champion in my own right." His blade raced up the mountain and shot up into the sky. It came crashing back down to the earth with enough speed and power, it caused a minor tremor.

A smile spread across his face. He was getting better. Raising a hand in the air, he recalled his blade then tucked it into his back pocket, swapping places with his phone. It was something Tyson's grandpa had given him for Christmas. Daichi was against it at first, but the man claimed it would be nice to keep in touch with reality. He pulled it out and switched it on. Fortunately, there was a signal out here. He scrolled through the headlines.

"Robert Jurgen makes plans to add a cinema to Olympia Dome. Voltaire Hiwatari released from prison on bail. Tyson claims the title of World Champion for the fourth time!" Daichi read aloud. Of course, Tyson would defend his title. He continued to read. More news about Tyson's victory. Then, something interesting. "Tyson and Kai both reported missing since the championship. Police have been searching the area for clues, but nothing has been found. Rumours are circulating both Tyson and Kai are dead."

Wait. What? He almost dropped the phone out of shock. Dead? Tyson? No way. Impossible. The journalists were just trying to dramatize things as usual. Tyson wasn't dead. He didn't care much about Kai's fate – the boy was a jerk anyway – but Tyson had earned his respect. His bitter rival. But also, his greatest friend. He pulled up the contacts menu and scrolled down to Tyson's name. He pressed on it and waited. Nothing. Perhaps his phone had died, or he had gotten a new one? He decided to try Max's number.

"Max?"

"Hello, Max speaking. Who is this?"

"It's me, Daichi!"

Silence then, "Oh hey Daichi!"

Daichi rolled his eyes. Had it really been so long Max couldn't recognize his voice? "I heard the news."

A brief pause then, "It's all over the media here. Where are you?"

"In Greece. Pindus Mountains. Where are you?"

"In Australia down in Brisbane. We were supposed to return home, but we can't – not until we know what happened to Tyson and Kai. You should be here, Daichi."

Daichi didn't reply immediately. He didn't owe his old teammates anything. Sure, they had fought some tough battles together, but he didn't connect to those guys as well as Tyson had. He was an outsider – why did he have to be there? To do what exactly? "I don't have to be there, Max. I don't owe you anything. I chose to leave on my own terms. We're not teammates anymore."

A pause then, "We might not be teammates anymore, but you're still a friend, and you played a vital role in saving the world once. We've never faced anything like this before, and if we don't control these demons, they're going to spread across the world and then there won't be a world to save anymore. We're at Tyson's place now. Find whatever flight you can because we need you."

Daichi sighed. He did miss the boys and Hilary. Besides, if he wanted to beat Tyson, he had to practice against the best – namely, Tyson's friends. "Fine. I'll book the next flight. We'll find Tyson then I'll kick his ass for making us all worry." Max chuckled. "You better be ready Max, because you'll be my first opponent."

"I look forward to it." Max hung up on the phone and Daichi put his one away. Raising his hand towards him, he opened his palm to recall Strata Dragoon. He looked down. "We're needed Strata Dragoon. What say you and I go on another adventure again?" In response, the bitchip glowed.

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The next two or three chapters will focus on setting up the sub plots for this story and the remainder of it (I'm aiming for no more than twenty chapters) will resolve them. This story will be shorter than the original, but I hope it'll be an enjoyable read. Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


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